DWCS 2025: Episode 4 Breakdown and Predictions

Middleweight Theo Haig (6-0) Vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk (15-3)

Notable Notes

• Haig went 2-0 in Bellator and LFA
• Haig has never seen a round three
• All of Haig’s wins come by submission
• Oleksiejczuk has forty-two more fights than Haig and has been fighting six years longer
• Oleksiejczuk is four years younger
• Haig trains out of the superior team in AKA
• Oleksiejczuk has wins over former UFC fighters Tom Breese and Chris Fishgold
• Oleksiejczuk moved up to 185 last year
• The last loss in almost seven years for Oleksiejczuk comes to undefeated Alibeg Rasulov

Theo Haig

Sometimes the UFC brings fighters in a bit too early, and Haig feels like one of those cases. I believe he could benefit from another year of development before stepping into this kind of opportunity. That said, he has valuable experience with two fights in LFA and two in Bellator, so he’s not completely untested on bigger stages.

The concern is the level of competition he’s faced so far: opponents with records like 1-2, 2-2, 18-34-1, and 7-7 don’t inspire much confidence. However, Haig has performed as expected, boasting a 100% finish rate with five first-round stoppages. All six of his pro wins, as well as his amateur victory, have come via submission, suggesting his grappling is well ahead of his striking.

On the feet, Haig seems to throw mostly to stay active and close the distance. He explodes into the clinch and throws effective strikes to set up takedowns, but otherwise looks uncomfortable standing. While his takedown attempts are predictable, he times his level changes exceptionally well—often setting them up with a short hook before dropping levels from the center of the cage and diving onto his opponent’s hips.

Haig’s cage wrestling is solid, employing trips and base disruption to take the back. He thrives once the fight hits the mat, quickly working to improve position and secure back control. His style relies heavily on pressure passing, using strong top pressure on the opponent’s shoulders combined with knee slides to transition to back mount.

With five of his wins coming by rear-naked choke, opponents definitely want to avoid having him on their back. It’s unclear if he’s fully ready for this step yet, but training at AKA and his overall skill set give him significant potential, win or lose.

Cezary Oleksiejczuk

Cezary Oleksiejczuk is the younger brother of UFC fighter Michał Oleksiejczuk, and I believe Cezary has the brighter future of the two. At just 25 years old, he’s already battle-tested with 18 pro fights against solid competition, backed by a strong 24-7 amateur record.

At first glance, I was underwhelmed by his striking. Early tape showed him relying heavily on a straight left, often targeting the body, and his offense was predictable. However, he’s since expanded his arsenal, actively stabbing with the jab and mixing in more volume. While the straight left remains his go-to weapon, he now tends to throw it off setups rather than lead with it, and he still effectively attacks the body.

Standing 6’3”, Oleksiejczuk likes to fight at range, using his length well. He’s improved his combination length, which is vital for his growth. That said, he still has a tendency to overextend, leaving himself vulnerable to counters.

His only loss in the past seven years came to Alibeg Rasulov, a high-level grappler, so there’s no shame there. In that fight, he struggled with spending extended time on his back. Although he could get back to his feet, he was repeatedly taken down and controlled.

Grappling remains Oleksiejczuk’s biggest weakness. He’s not a complete novice, but he struggles with sustained grappling exchanges. His takedown defense is solid at the first level — he sprawls effectively — but he can be taken down on reshoots or against the cage. At times, his fight IQ falters; for example, after sprawling, he sometimes hips into top position instead of creating separation, opting to fight for position rather than escape immediately. Similarly, in the clinch, he occasionally accepts control when he should be working to disengage.

That said, he’s young, and I expect all these areas to improve. In a middleweight division that desperately needs fresh talent, Oleksiejczuk is a welcome addition.

Prediction: I wish they had matched Haig with someone else. While Haig has a chance to pull off an upset, this fight feels oddly matched on paper. The best opponent Haig has beaten had a 4-0 record, while Oleksiejczuk holds wins over two former UFC fighters and brings significantly more experience and battle-tested skill.

Haig’s path to victory hinges on taking the fight to the ground. Oleksiejczuk has only one submission loss (back in 2018), and while he’s not a dominant grappler, he’s solid at avoiding bad positions. I expect Oleksiejczuk to effectively sprawl and defend in the center of the cage. Haig will likely find takedowns along the fence, but Oleksiejczuk is skilled at using the cage to scramble back to his feet.

The biggest gap is striking. Oleksiejczuk is far more developed on the feet, while Haig has limited experience standing and has never fought beyond ten minutes. In contrast, Oleksiejczuk has gone five rounds three times. At this stage in his career, Haig is still very raw compared to the proven Oleksiejczuk. I have Oleksiejczuk winning by TKO in the second round.